No Wake

[Weekend Pundit]

Originally Posted by SailinAway

I think a lot of people can't estimate 50 or 150 feet.

I try to gauge distance by the number of boat lengths, in this case multiples of my boat's length (20 feet). I find it easier to guesstimate 150 feet (7-1/2 boat lengths). A couple times I borrowed a rangefinder to find out how close I came to guesstimating distance between my boat and another boat, a dock, a buoy, a shoreline, or some other object. I think worst case I was off by about 30 feet at 150 feet (I guessed 120 feet). Conditions at the time threw off my guess, but better I underestimate the distance rather than the other way around. Generally I was with 15 feet out to about 200 feet. After that I my error expanded quickly.